A catalogue without new arrivals... except the prices!
Managing 30,000 books, manuscripts and works of art is no easy feat, and some masterpieces have been quietly sleeping beneath a humble layer of dust.
The time has come to bring them back into the soft light of libraries, and to do so, we offer you this catalogue in French of 200 pieces to pick at prices that dip.
First edition illustrated with 11 original black woodcut engravings by Paul-Emile Colin and 15 original engravings and typographical ornaments printed in bistre by Pierre-Eugène Vibert, one of 25 numbered copies on Japan paper containing a collection of artist's proofs by both painter-engravers on China paper.
Full mauve morocco binding, faded spine with five raised bands, gilt date at foot, some rubbing to bands and joints, watered silk endpapers in mauve, brown morocco doublure decorated with vegetal and floral frieze executed with brown and violet mosaic morocco pieces, covers and spine preserved, all edges gilt, slipcase with mauve morocco entry, faded, marbled paper boards, binding signed Canape.
Copy perfectly executed in a full morocco binding with doublure by Canape.
Edition illustrated with 10 original color lithographs hors-texte by Jean-Gabriel Domergue, one of 40 numbered copies on Rives vellum.
Half red morocco binding with bands, smooth spine, date gilt at tail, boards, endpapers and pastedowns of moiré and gilt effect paper, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, contemporary binding signed Gauché.
The work is also ornamented with 26 illustrations in the text, in one or two tones, as chapter headpieces, tailpieces in red by Jean-Gabriel Domergue.
Handsome copy containing the full suite of 18 in-text illustrations.
Manuscript annotation in blue ballpoint pen on the title page: unique copy.
Indeed, on two hors-texte lithographs (including the frontispiece) and two in-text illustrations representing women clothed or nude, pieces of tulle have been added as dresses.
Furthermore, at the end of the volume, numerous press clippings relating to the life and style of Jean-Gabriel Domergue have been pasted onto the endpapers.
Signed autograph inscription by Pierre Harel-Darc, the dedicatee's name having been properly erased enriched with a signed autograph inscription by Jean-Gabriel Domergue enhanced with an original drawing representing the face of a Parisian woman.
First edition printed with 750 numbered copies on Arches Velin and planned for the exhibition of Léger's works organised at the Louis Carré gallery from 19 November to 31 December 1954, for which the catalogue has been published only two years after the retrospective.
Work illustrated with original lithographs by Fernand Léger: 6 unpaged colour plates, two of which are double pages, 5 black and white unpaged plates and 10 within the text.
A beautiful copy despite slight rubbing to the caps.
First edition, one of 450 numbered copies on Holland paper.
Work illustrated with 35 original woodcuts by Fernand Siméon.
Full brown morocco binding, smooth spine decorated with a vertical band of black mosaic morocco, black roulettes on the headcaps, slight rubbing to the upper headcap, gilt title struck to the center of the first cover, covers decorated with a large diamond and a wide horizontal band of black mosaic morocco, endpapers and pastedowns of paper with gilt floral motifs and moiré effect, frame of vertical and horizontal bands of black mosaic morocco on the pastedowns, covers and spine preserved, top edge gilt, double black fillets on the leading edges, slipcase with brown morocco entry, covers of paper with gilt floral motifs and moiré effect, perfect Art Deco binding signed A. Pinard-Lefort.
Handsome copy perfectly executed in a beautiful Art Deco binding.
First edition illustrated with text illustrations and plates by Hermann Vogel and ornaments by Adolphe Giraldon, one of 60 numbered copies on China paper, the only deluxe copies after 20 on Japan.
Full blue morocco binding, spine very slightly faded with five raised bands, date and place gilt at foot, gilt borders on the headcaps, gilt fillet border on the pastedowns in full purple morocco, purple watered silk endpapers, following endpapers of combed paper, covers preserved, all edges gilt, double gilt fillets on the edges, slipcase edged with blue morocco, marbled paper boards, superb full morocco binding with doublure signed Blanchetière Bretault.
Each plate appears in triple state in our copy.
Very handsome copy free from foxing established in a magnificent full morocco binding with doublure by Blanchetière Bretault.
First edition of the theatrical adaptation.
Bound in half red shagreen, spine in four compartments set with gilt stipples adorned with double gilt spine panels, marbled paper plates, marbled endpapers, contemporary binding.
Precious handwritten presentation signed by George Sand: “à monsieur Huart en lui demandant pardon de tout le mal que je lui donne.” “To Mr Huart asking for his forgiveness for all the harm I am causing him.”
Provenance: from the Grandsire library with its ex-libris.
First edition, one of 230 numbered copies on Auvergne paper, ours one of 75 not-for-sale copies, the only printing after 10 copies on China and a few hors commerce copies; this copy specially printed for René Daumal.
Frontispiece illustrated with an original lithograph by Étienne Cournault.
Very faint, insignificant foxing to the margins of the covers.
A handsome copy complete with its original wraparound band.
Exceptional and superb signed autograph inscription dated 27 December 1936 from René Daumal to his future partner Véra Milanova : « à Véra Milanova – à toi Véra, d'abord ces anciens mensonges (que je n'ai pu nourrir qu'en ton absence) pour leur faire une sépulture définitive ; puis ces quelques ombres de vérités que tu m'as aidé à comprendre ; mais surtout, Véra, je préfère te dédier une grande page blanche, neuve, invisible, où nous écrirons sans mots notre histoire. Prends ce petit tombeau d'un ancien René Daumal, de la main de ton Nasha. 27 décembre 1936. »
First edition, one of 10 numbered copies on Japan paper, the deluxe issue.
Bradel binding in half chocolate-brown morocco with bands, smooth spine, date gilt at foot, marbled paper boards, brown endpapers and pastedowns, original wrappers and spine preserved, gilt edges, binding signed Honnelaître.
Rare first edition of the catalogue of the first exhibition of Benjamin Rabier's watercolors, showing 41 works at the Galerie d'art Deplanche from 8 June to 4 July 1910.
A very good copy despite slight staining to edge of upper cover.
An important and amusing preface by Guillaume Apollinaire who awards Rabier the prize for the "most spiritual of our animal painters."
The catalogue is illustrated with a reproduction of one original watercolor by Benjamin Rabier on the cover.
Original photograph, contemporary silver halide print on crumière paper, taken at the surrealist exhibition in Paris in 1938. “Wide World Photos – Services photographiques The New York Times” imprinted on the verso.
This picture depicts the object “Cadavre exquis” by André Breton, which was exhibited in the room adjacent to the main room at the exhibition and surrounded by paintings by René Magritte and sculptures by Hans Arp.
Stencilled inset glued on the back of the picture: “International Surrealism Exhibition 1938 opens at the Beaux-arts gallery. Paris. What to think of this curious “chest of drawers” on a woman's legs? Photo NYT Paris Fre. 18.1.38 DB.”
First edition consisting of 6 decorative plates and 2 plates with pre-cut characters.
Rare and fine copy complete with red glossed slipcase (with two tears at theback cover) and cardboard packaging, affected by some slight foxing on the covers.
First edition of this brochure of the Serge Poliakoff exhibition, of which 300 copies were printed. The exhibition was held at the Der Spiegel gallery in Cologne in 1964.
Work illustrated with two separate original engravings by Serge Poliakoff, including one double-page spread.
Texts by Hans Arp and Albert Schulze Vellinghausen.
Wrappers and spine slightly discolored at the margins, otherwise an attractive copy.
Provenance: from the library of the art publisher and collector Alex Grall, with his stamp printed as an ex-libris.
The first edition on simili-Japon paper.
Bradel grey cloth binding, navy blue cloth band with authors and title blindstamped to edge of upper board, upper cover preserved at end.
With 21 collages by Max Ernst.
A very good and rare copy.
First edition, one of 40 numbered copies on vélin pur fil paper, the tirage de tête (deluxe copies).
Full morocco, covers and spine preserved, slipcase, elegant binding signed by Semet & Plumelle.
Provenances: mostly from Robert Desprechins' library with his ex-libris drawn by Jean Cocteau, and by Louis de Sadeleer with his engraved ex-libris.
A very nice copy beautifully bound morocco signed by Semet & Plumelle.
First edition, one of 100 numbered copies on vellum, ours unnumbered, the only deluxe papers after 15 copies on Japon.
Illustrated with a frontispiece drawing by Salvador Dalí.
Precious signed autograph presentation from Paul Eluard to René Char : « Exemplaire de mon ami René Char. Paul Eluard. »
Rare first edition.
Contemporary full tree calf bindings. Smooth spines decorated with two gilt tools and two grotesque panels. Red morocco title labels. Black wax volume labels, heavily rubbed and faded. Head- and tailcaps and the upper and lower joints and corners very discreetly restored. A scratch on one board. A handsome, clean copy.
